Understanding Angelina: An Exclusive Interview with Author Andrew Morton - Part 1
As Angelina Jolie whirls the globe promoting her new action flick Salt, she remains one step ahead of the truth - perhaps not her truth, but the truth as revealed by Andrew Morton's new book Angelina, An Unauthorized Biography.
Just the name Angelina conjures up many things in the public imagination: seductress, home wrecker, global do-gooder, earth mother. At 35, Angelina Jolie, co-pilot in the Brangelina brand, is just hitting her stride. Jolie seems to have it all: a successful film career (including an Oscar), a handsome and devoted partner in Brad Pitt, and a vibrant brood of six. But Angie's success wasn't the classic Hollywood formula we've come to expect from big name stars — in many respects she fell into fame almost in spite of herself.
A classic Gemini (Morton refers to this often in the book), Angie's wild years showcased her twin-nature of outrageous behavior (that squirm-inducing kiss with her brother, talk of shared blood vials, exhibitionist red-carpet PDA with her ex, Billy Bob Thorton, bizarre vamp-inspired fashion) juxtaposed against her undeniable talent and work ethic. Any other rising talent (even those from Hollywood royality) might have been relegated to the annals of Tinseltown failure — but with Angie and her exotic beauty, the wild side only served to mystify all the more. Fast forward a decade, all those crazy times behind her, Jolie finds herself transformed into one of the world's most visible and beloved, yet polarizing, public figures.
I came into the book a skeptic, having written my fair share of negative things about Angelina Jolie over the years. But such is the magic of Morton's story-telling (he has famously written best-selling tomes on the late Princess Diana, Madonna and, most recently, Tom Cruise) that I found my attitude notably softened; while I still harbor a certain amount of suspicion toward the perplexing star, the book helped give me a more nuanced and deeper perspective. Essentially, I have moved from hostility toward neutrality. For fans of Jolie, this is noteworthy evidence of Morton's fair-minded and balanced approach towards his subject.
I have read several other reviews of the book, many scathing and dismissive, leading me to wonder if anyone actually took the time to read it. So pervasive are the tawdry claims and sensational excerpts, I have decided to take a different approach and focus on the meat of what Morton presents, leaving the titillation for the scavengers to pick over.
Continued on the next page
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